What many drivers seem to ignore when going on a crusade against cyclists is this:
I own one car and three bikes, and choose to ride a bike whenever I can. Not for environmental or ideological reasons, but because it's the fastest and most convenient means of transportation in my city and also provides plenty of "free" excercise in place of hours spent sitting in a car or a bus. My daily commute is normally 10-20 km each way. Whenever it isn't possible to use a bike, for example when I'm going to an important meeting at a place where it isn't possible to shower and change clothes, I use public transportation. The car is 2001 model and only used for occasional climbing trips and other road trips. Given how much I've been using it I'll most likely sell it during the summer. It's just easier and cheaper to rent or borrow one when I need it.
Finnish winter isn't a big problem when you use a
fatbike as your main commuter. You just need to leave a bit earlier when there's lots of snow and put a little bit of thought on what you wear. The bikepaths and -lanes are maintained year around, and even after the worst snowshowers the most important transportation veins are cleared by early afternoon. Not that an uncleared one is a huge obstacle when riding a fatbike.
I mainly ride on the parts of the road network designed for bikes, but sometimes it just isn't possible or safe. I try to avoid riding among the cars as far as possible, mainly because of the already mentioned laws of physics and the "bigger size gives you the right of way"-attitude of some drivers. I just don't feel safe doing it when there's lots of traffic. At times you just don't have a real choice, for example when you ride in the city center with plenty of pedestrians all over the place, including the parts meant for cars and bikes. Winter maintenance is also sometimes an issue. Not the lack of it, but the way it's done: Snow is plowed off the main lanes and onto the bicycle lanes. Even a fatbike won't carry you over half a meter layer of soft sludge.
Would you prefer your daily commute to be this(pic not mine)?
or this(a real pic from my ride home)?
